to create 2D house drawings +documentation which softwar-LT or Full or Sketchup?

[Anonymous]

To create 2D custom residential house drawings for permitting, which version will be needed - Full Architectural or does LT contain the features needed to accomplish this?  As an Architectural CAD Drafter I'll need to create/modify top view, front view, side view 2D house drawings & add documentation (ie; measurements, list of materials).  There is a large price difference ($200 vs $1550).  If Full Version, which one? Sketchup Pro is amazing. It would let me create a 2D house & use that drawing to add 3D to it.  I think my customers would like the additional 3D drawing. Bryond my question -the HGTV Property Brothers likely used Sketchup & then to render walk-thrus likely used expensive Revit & Autocad to show the viewers their remodels (per Eric Harker, Assoc AIA). The Sketchup is $575. $695 with 1yr support.  At Microsoft I used to answer clients questions about which version they need -my reply always was the required features determines that.  The best way to determine features is use MS's side-by-side features comparison charts.  Audodesk's website contains an ocean of products & amazingly I cannot determine this even though I know what features I require. I really could use a metrics comparison chart of Features/Tools!  Thank you in advance. 

[pendean]

What experience do you have using professional grade CAD software? If none, go with SketchUp today, it does what you are posting your clients (and favorite TV shows) want and need.

[Anonymous]

None. (In college we did a little CAD).  Sketchup looks amazing after watching the vids by Sketchupschool.com.   Wonder if the training time for Sketchup would be shorter vs Autocad LT.  Just curious -what area of CAD expertise with your current job - - ie; Architecture CAD or Mechanical CAD, etc?  Thank you Pendean!

[pendean · Accepted solution]

SketchUp is easy to master in a 1/10 of the time it will take you to do it the hard way in AutoCAD Architecture (LT does not do real 3D): with the PRO version you can create 2D contractor drawings all day long too.

Architecture here.

[Anonymous]

Excellent feedback. Greatly appreciated Pendean.  Full AutoCAD has always been a giant software app to learn.  Yrs ago I convinced the owner of Spokane Safe & Lock to go from pencil to CAD, AutoCAD had way too many features for our need. I went with a $600 CAD program called Powerdraw.  We just needed to create & use a library of safe dials. There was very little variances among their safe products & they were having me draw safe dials & simple safe's over & over with pencil.   I recall the price tag then (1990) was $3000 which would have put our "CAD project" over-budget. The Macintosh II computer was the biggest chunk of my $15,000 budget.